A smarter and greener EU Budget would contribute to employment and economic prosperity

By BirdLife Europe, Wed, 08/02/2012 - 16:08

A coalition of Environmental Groups launches a major study by GHK Consultants on “the contribution a green EU Budget could make to job creation and the economy”.

On Wednesday 8 February, a coalition of Environmental NGOs launched a new report 'Evaluating the Potential for Green Jobs in the next Multi-annual Financial Framework’, during an event held in the European Parliament. The report shows that a smart and green EU budget can reach two objectives at once: pursue the EU’s environmental sustainability objectives and tackle the economic and social crisis. The report identifies key sectors that have a significant potential for the creation of green jobs: Renewable energies, Energy saving in buildings, Management of Natura 2000 network and Sustainable transport. It estimates that shifting to green spending 15% of the EU budget to these four secotrs would yield three times more jobs than with current investments. Strikingly, when only analysing CAP spending, for example, investment in the Natura 2000 network can create 5 times more jobs per euro.

The NGOs report conclusions are closely mirrored by a recent UNEP's Green Economy Report. Sheng Fulai, senior economist with UNEP's Green Economy Initiative, who gave the keynote speech at the event, commented that “redirecting investment at a global level to green activities is good news for jobs overall”. BirdLife Europe and CI Europe urge EU decision makers to show the courage needed to confront vested interests and make the European economy ready for the 21st century. It is time for a real re-orientation of the EU budget, away from harmful subsidies and towards the delivery of green jobs and public goods, such as biodiversity conservation and climate stabilisation. Environmental NGO’s have tabled detailed proposals for a green reform of the EU Budget and relevant sectoral policies. Read and download the full report here.